Beware the Little White Rabbit
by Lady FoxFire
Summary: #3 in the Blackmail series – Sometime you don't have to jump down a rabbit hole. Sometimes you just need to ask a friend for help.
1. Chapter 1

**Bad Author Notes:** Sorry I haven't been writing or editing the stuff I already have done. I just haven't had the drive to actual work on anything partly due to work, home-life and a number of other stresses. My baby is now 18, graduated from high school and is starting to figure his own life out… don't know how my Muse will react when he leave home.

Special thanks to Lori for editing this mess.

* * *

With a weary sigh, Giles picked up the phone and dialed a number he hadn't needed to dial in almost two whole years.

" _Acme Corporation,_ " a woman's voice on the other end of the line answered. " _What can Acme do for you today?_ "

"I need to arrange a rendezvous with Velma," Giles said the code words Xander had left him in his journal.

" _Of course,_ " the voice replied. " _And what name should I put down for your_ _rendezvous._

Giles looked heaven wards as he sighed, "Bond. James Bond."

" _Of course, Mr. Bond. If you give me one moment I can confirm your rendezvous_ ," the voice stated before putting Giles on hold.

"Giles, I take it that there is a problem," a male voice answered the phone.

"Unfortunately, you are correct, Colonel but I would have assumed you already knew that," Giles replied.

"That something was going on, yes, but not exactly what. We know that that hospital has been admitting more mental patients than normal for your town," Colonel Pierce admitted.

"Yes. Well, it seems as the Hellmouth has decided we needed to be paid in spades for the respite we had last year," Giles explained. "A being of considerable power has taken up residence within Sunnydale while it searches for an item that it would use to return home."

"And I take it we don't want this being to be able to return home?" Pierce asked.

"No, we don't," Giles replied simply and without any further explanation.

"So what do you need?" Pierce asked bluntly.

"We need you to help sneak two people out of Sunnydale and hide them," Giles answered.

"How well do you need them hidden?" Peirce inquired.

"Someplace far, far away from Sunnydale. Where no one could ever find them," Giles answered.

"I know of a couple places that fit the bill," Pierce stated. "But I need to know more. If I'm going to protect them I need to know what I'm up against."

Giles sighed wearily. "I am loathe to speak of the matter on the phone, let alone within Sunnydale city limits."

Pierce made an understanding noise. "I'm assuming the people you want me to evac will be able to explain things to me when I get them out of Sunnydale."

"Only to a point," Giles answered. "The reason is that the being we are currently dealing with would be able to hear it if its name or the items it is searching for is ever spoken out loud."

"And if this being heard its name being used, it could track them?" Pierce asked.

"That is a possibility," Giles stated.

Pierce was silent for a moment before saying, "This isn't one of your normal problems, is it?"

"No. No, this is far beyond it," Giles answered.

"What are your chances?" Pierce asked solemnly.

"Of surviving… not good. Of winning… if you can hide our people so she can't find them… then we might have a chance of winning. Slim that it might be," Giles admitted.

"Give me a day and I'll find a place that this demon will never find them," Pierce stated.

"Agreed," Giles replied before settling down to decision where and when Pierce will retrieve the people Giles wanted hidden.


	2. Chapter 2

While the sun has just risen about a half hour ago it was high enough in the sky so that a lone jogger make his way down the streets of Sunnydale without worry of attack, as long as he stayed away from the shadows. Stopping briefly to tie his shoes, the jogger hardly even glanced at the three black SUVs as they went past him in the opposite direction.

The SUVs continued past the jogger and onto a tree-lined street, finally coming to a stop at a small apartment complex. Almost as if it had been planned, the doors on the three SUVs opened and the people climbed out of the vehicles. The first and last vehicle each had 4 people who were dressed completely in black; they immediately took position to guard the vehicles and each other. The middle vehicle only had three people - two who were also dressed in black and one who was wearing a brown leather jacket.

The man in the leather jacket looked around the area before pointing at one of the men who rode with him. "You come with me," he ordered. "The rest of you stay alert and don't get eaten. I want to get out of this damned town as soon as possible."

"I really hate this town," the man grumbled to himself as he walked towards one of the apartments.

Stopping in front of the door to an apartment, the man banged on the door a number of times. He stopped for a moment, than banged a couple more times.

The door suddenly opened and a loaded crossbow was pointed at the man's heart.

"I really hate this town," the man snarled as he pushed the crossbow aside and walked into the apartment.

"I'm not too fond of it myself, Velma, especially before my morning cup of tea" Giles growled in reply as he shut the door once the two men were inside. "Who pissed in your Weetabix this morning?"

"Senator Robert Kinsey," Velma aka Colonel Pierce snarled.

"I see," Giles said as he removed his glasses and started to clean them. "And how exactly is the Senator being a problem?"

"Kinsey's the chairman of the Senate Appropriate Committee - they're the ones who determine how much funding we get for a year," Pierce explained. "And he's starting to ask questions about what exactly my little department does."

"And is this going to cause problems for us?" Giles asked.

"Depends," Pierce said with a smirk, "on whether or not I can convince him to take a tour of your lovely little town."

"I'm sure we do not want a vampire as a Senator," Giles commented with a shake of his head.

"It wouldn't be any different than what we already have. Beside I was hoping to hand him over to one of the flesh eaters," Pierce admitted.

"I think that would be a case of cruel and unusual punishment," Joyce Summers chimed in as she walked down the stairs. "And I'm speaking about the demon, not about the Senator."

"Well, if it would help I would give them a case of Pepto," Pierce suggested with a boyish smile.

Giles picked the bridge of his nose. "I don't think that would help matter, besides we have more important matters to deal with."

"Of course," Pierce replied. "I'm assuming that Mrs. Summers is one of the people you want evaced."

"My daughter, Dawn, is the other person," Joyce stated as she finished coming down the stairs.

"Dawn?" Pierce said in confusion as he glanced between the two residents of Sunnydale. "I don't recall you have another daughter."

Giles and Joyce share a glance between each other.

"Yes… well…" Giles mumbled as he removed his glasses to clean them once again. "It's a complicated matter."

Pierce held up his hand, indicating for Giles to stop. "Sunnydale thing?" he inquired.

"Yes," Giles answered.

"Is she a danger to my people or the world?" Pierce inquired.

"As long as she's far from Sunnydale; someplace safe and secure, then no she's not a danger to anyone," Giles stated.

Pierce turned to Joyce. "And she's how old? 6? 9 months?"

Joyce chuckled. "She's not that young. She is a very opinionated 14 year old."

Pierce blinked a couple times. "Magic?" he said simply.

Joyce smiled. "It's a Sunnydale thing."

Pierce shook his head. "I really hate this town."

"Mom?" a sleepy voice floated down the stairs.

"I'm downstairs, Dawn," Joyce called out.

A few moments later, a girl still dressed in her pajamas shuffled down the stairs and over to her mother. Wrapping her arms around Joyce, Dawn leaned against her and went back to sleep.

Half supporting and half hugging her daughter, Joyce said, "As you can see my Dawn is not a morning person."

"So she doesn't live up to her name then," Pierce remarked as he eyed the young woman.

"Who you?" Dawn mumbled as she opened one eye and peered at Pierce with it.

"Colonel Pierce. I'm here to escort your mother and you out of Sunnyhell," Pierce replied.

Dawn let out a grunt before closing her eye again.

The adults all shared a brief look of amusement.

"Dawn," Joyce said as she nudged her daughter. "Why don't you get dressed? We have to leave soon."

"Shower?" Dawn mumbled.

Joyce glanced over at Pierce, who just sighed warily. "It would have to be quick. It may be daylight but I want to be out of this town as soon possible," he stated.

"Make it a quick one," Joyce told her daughter.

Dawn grunted once again but didn't move from where she was leaning against her mother.

Joyce sighed. "Dawn, move it," she ordered. "Now."

Dane grunted once again before she started to move slowly to the stairs and towards her shower.

"And you have 15 minutes to take your shower and be ready to leave," Joyce added in.

Dawn suddenly seems more awake are her mother's command. "But Mom!" she whined

"You're wasting time, Dawn. Now move it," Joyce ordered in a firm tone of voice. Turning to the man that had accompanied Colonel Pierce, Joyce pointed a finger at him. "You come with me. We might as well load things up while Dawn is getting ready" Joyce then started up the stairs.

The man in question turned and looked at Colonel Pierce with a questioning look.

Pierce nodded towards the stairway. The man followed the unspoken orders and followed Mrs. Summers to the second floor.

It was exactly 15 minutes later when Joyce Summer marched her younger daughter down stairs.

"But mom," Dawn whined as she walked down in front of her mother. "My hair is still wet."

"It will dry on its own," Joyce stated. "It's time for us to leave."

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Dawn turned around to face her mother and asked, "What about my stuff?"

"It's already out in the cars," Joyce said.

"And my friends. I'll be able to call my friends, right? We'll be coming back, won't we?" Dawn demanded.

Joyce glanced over at the Colonel Pierce for answers.

"You won't be able to call them but you can email them," Pierce stated.

Dawn looked less than thrilled about that. "Are there other teens there? Are there boys there?" she demanded. "It's very important for my social well-being to be able to interact with other people of my own age."

"Dawn," Joyce said with a warily sigh. "I know this is hard on you but it's just like last time when we moved to Sunnydale. You'll make new friends and as the Colonel said you can still email your old ones."

Dawn cross her arms over chest and seems to give herself a hug. "I know," she said solemnly. "I just don't want to leave."

"If it helps any, the place you're going to is really nice. Plenty of fresh air. Lots of tree and no pollution. You can see all the stars at night," Pierce chimed in.

Dawn gave Pierce a small smile at the fact that the man was trying to reassure her.

"Alright. We're been here long enough. It's time to get going," Pierce declared. "Giles. You know my number. Call if you need help."

"I will," Giles said shaking Pierce's hand, a trace of Ripper appears in his tone of voice. "And you'll protect them for us, won't you?"

"You know I will. I have the best man for this job already at the base, waiting for them," Pierce replied with a smirk.

"I'll miss you," Dawn said as she gave Giles a hug good-bye.

"Don't forget to write me," Giles said as he returned the hug.

"You'll have to learn to use a computer if I do," Dawn pointed out teasingly. "You can't have Willow doing it all the time for you."

Giles sighed in disgust. "Ah, the sacrifices one must make for one's family."

Dawn giggled at that as Joyce walked over and gave Giles a hug. "Good-bye, Rupert," she said. "Take care of yourself and the girls for me."

"I'll do my best," Giles replied. "Take care of yourself, Joyce. I'll miss you."

Joyce smiles briefly before turning towards her daughter and Colonel Pierce. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

Several hours later and someplace in Nevada, the SUV slowed down and turned off the road their current road on to a dirt road that could be barely called a road.

"Are we there, already?" Joyce said in disbelief.

"No," Pierce replied. "We're almost at the meeting point of the team that will take you to your new home."

"You're not taking us there," Joyce commented, her displeasure was evident in her voice.

Pierce shook his head. "Because of my duties there was concern about what would happen if I was turned or captured by some demon who would force me to review what I know. They were afraid I could jeopardize your security."

"And the team you're handing us off to?" Joyce asked.

"They're a good team. Good people. They will get you there safely," Pierce answered.

"That's not what I mean," Joyce replied. "What if they get turned?"

Pierce shook his head once again. "They're not in the same field I'm in so the chances of running into a vamp is a lot less."

"We're here, sir," the driver announced as the three SUV came to a stop in the middle of no-where.

"No one's here," Dawn stated as she looked out the windows of the SUV.

Pierce chuckled. "I wouldn't bet on that," he said as he opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle.

Shortly afterwards everyone followed Pierce's actions.

"So where are they?" Dawn demanded as she looked around. "I thought you said they were here."

With a smirk, Pierce nodded towards some approaching figures. "You mean them?"

Dawn's jaw dropped open slightly. "Where did they come from? They weren't there a moment ago."

Pierce chuckled. "You learn to do things like that in the military."

"O'Neill," Pierce said as a greeting when the soldiers were close enough.

"Pierce," The oldest of the four soldiers said returning the greeting before turning towards Joyce and Dawn. "Ladies," he said with a nod of his head.

"O'Neill, allow me to introduce Joyce and Dawn Summers. Ladies, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill," Pierce said.

O'Neill took his sunglasses off. "The Slayer's mother?" he said in surprise.

"You know about my daughter?" Joyce inquired with a touch of steel in her voice.

"Xander told me," Jack admitted ducked his head in a rather boyish manner.

"Xander? Xander Harris?" Joyce stammered in shock.

"You know Xander?" Dawn chimed in suddenly.

"Yeah… well, you could say that Xander knows me," Jack admitted.

Joyce crossed her arms over her chest. "Really," she said in a tone that every mother in the world used when they want their child to explain farther.

"Turns out he bought a pair of boots during an airport lost luggage sale," O'Neill replied.

"And how would that allow you to know Xander?" Joyce demanded.

"If I remember right, Xander said it was the Troll's fault along with some jackass who needs to be kicked in the balls repeatedly," O'Neill explained.

"Ahhhh, the plague of Sunnydale," Pierce said almost fondly. "He does make life interesting."

Joyce's brow furrowed as she looked at the two men. Suddenly her eyes widened, "Ethan. Halloween. Xander wore your boots, didn't he?" she gasped.

"And received a complete download," O'Neill commented as he rocked on the balls of his feet.

"But that doesn't explain how **you** knew Xander," Dawn pointed out.

"He kind of broke into my house, ate my pizza and then blackmailed me," O'Neil replied. "Of course, he denied the blackmail part since he didn't out right ask for money or anything."

"Oh," Dawn mumbled.

Joyce closed her eyes and exhaled slowing. Inhaling. She opened her eyes and looked directly at O'Neill. "And did you give Xander what he wanted?"

O'Neill shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty much. He wanted us to raise some red flags so this guy," he nodded to Pierce, "would come snooping around."

Joyce then directed her attention to Pierce with a look that commanded him to continue.

"He left his book with all the contact info with you," Pierce answered quickly

Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off a headache. "And he couldn't return because of Buffy and Willow," she stated.

"Why couldn't Xander return home?" Dawn demanded.

"Willow and your sister had some issues," Pierce answered.

"Is this a 'need a special jacket that ties in the back' type of issue or the 'they have their heads so far each other skirts that they've switch bodies' type of issue," Dawn offered.

"Dawn!" Joyce exclaimed as she looked down at her youngest.

"What? I already know Buffy had issues; after all, she said I wasn't real," Dawn protested. "Besides she slept with a corpse. I mean ewww… who would want to sleep with something that is room temperature unless it needs batteries."

"Dawn!" Joyce screeched in outrage.

"What?" Dawn replied with a confused tone.

"I'm glad I don't have kids," Pierce mumbled.

"You shouldn't talk about sex or someone's sex life in public," Joyce stated. "It's very rude."

"But Anya does. So does Buffy and Willow," Dawn replied innocently.

"You know perfectly well that Anya is still recovering from being made human again. She doesn't understand all the social rules of the modern world. As for your sister and Willow… I expect better from you!" Joyce exclaimed.

Dawn sighed. "Alright, but can you at least tell me what a stevedore is? Buffy couldn't figure it out."

"It's another name for a longshoreman," one of the men who arrived with O'Neill answered; the name on his jacket said Jackson. The man continued on, not notice the color coming to Joyce's cheeks. "The word origins from the Spanish word estibador."

Dawn looked at Jackson in confusion. "But what would a longshoreman have to do with sex?"

"And it's time to leave," Pierce announce suddenly before starting to walk towards the SUV. "It's been a long day. It's time for a good steak and a couple of beers."

Pierce turned around but continued to walk backwards towards the vehicle. "Have a good trip to your new homes, ladies. Jack, tell the kid I said hi."

"Wait," Joyce called out as she looked back and forth between Pierce and O'Neill. "Where are we going? How are we getting there?"

Pierce paused in his retreat. "Don't know," he admitted, "and honestly the less me and my team know the safer you and your daughter are. But I can tell you one thing… you can trust Jack," he nodded towards O'Neill, "just as much as you trusted Xander when he was in your life."

Joyce nodded her head as Pierce climbed into the SUV and drove off.

"Mom?" Dawn said as she gently touched her mother's arm. "Mom, you ok?"

Joyce turned looked at her youngest as she wiped the tears from her eyes. With a small smile, she said, "I was thinking of Xander… before graduation. How he told me he would protect your sister."

"Buffy's an idiot," Dawn commented as she hugged her mother. "All that hair dye has rotted her brain."

"Dawn," Joyce chastised gentle.

"It's true," Dawn said as she pulled away from her mother. "She takes after dad. He left a fox like you to play hide the salami with some bimbo who's young enough to be his own daughter. Buffy's just as blind and stupid as daddy is."

Joyce smiled gently as she brushed Dawn's hair out of her face and tucked it behind the young girl's ears. "Thanks for the vote of confidence but your father and I had other issues than just that," Joyce smiled.

"You mean beside his hair loss and the need for a little blue pill," Dawn suggested.

"Dawn, that's enough," Joyce barked at Dawn again.

"It's time for us to go," O'Neill stated as he picked up some of the Summer's luggage from where Pierce's men had placed them.

"Where's your car?" Dawn questioned as she looked around for it. "Do we have to walk far?"

"Nope. It's not far at all," O'Neill replied with a mischievous grin.

"So it's over the hill then," Dawn suggested as she pointed at one of the hills.

"Nope," O'Neill teased as he gentle pushed Dawn so she was standing next to a blond female soldier. "It's much closer than that."

Dawn looked around once again but looking up into the blue sky. "It's a helicopter, right? It's going to come in and scoop us off to wherever."

"Nope but you are getting closer," O'Neill answered as he moved Mrs. Summers so she was with the group. "Carter."

Carter fiddled with something and then suddenly five rings, one stacked on top of another appeared around them. There was suddenly a bright light and when the light cleared they found themselves in a military grey room.


	4. Chapter 4

"What?" Joyce said breathlessly as she looked around the room. "How did we… Where are we?"

"Oh my… oh my…" Dawn looked around the room with wide eyes.

"I guess this is where we start to explain," O'Neill started to say before he was interrupted.

"It's Wormhole X-Treme!" Dawn squealed in a pitch that only fanboys and girls can reach when they face their favorite actors. Dawn took a couple steps away from group before slowly turning to look at them.

"Colonel Danning," Dawn said in awe as she pointed at O'Neill. Pointing at Carter, she said, "Major Stacey Monroe. Which means you're Dr. Levant and you must be Grell," she finished up as she pointed at Teal'c."

"I really hate that show," O'Neill grumbled as he bowed his head as he slowly shook it.

Joyce slowly looked O'Neill over. "Definitely an improvement," she said softly.

"Oh my word… oh my word… we're in space! Aren't we? We're on a spaceship and you ringed us up," Dawn squealed as she bounce up and down like a deranged jack-rabbit.

"So she's a fan of Wormhole X-Treme," O'Neill reasoned as he finally raised his head.

"Never misses an episode. She even writes fanfiction about it," Joyce said with tolerant smile. "Xander got her started on it."

"Of course he did," O'Neill grumbled.

"I have a question," Dawn said as she appeared right in front of O'Neill, vibrating like she was on a caffeine overload. "Are you really in a secret love affair with," she glances over to the O'Neill's team mates, "Jackson? I mean almost everyone who watches Wormhole X-Treme believe that Danning and Levant are a couple but they can't admit it because of the stupid Don't Ask, Don't Tell rule."

"Dawn!" Joyce exclaimed. "Didn't we just talk about not speaking about other people's sex lives not thirty minutes ago?"

"But mom, you've been wondering the same thing. You're always going on how the writers keep writing the love triangle about Danning, Levant and Monroe," Dawn pointed out.

"Yes but that is TV and this is reality," Joyce reply.

Dawn pointed at O'Neill. "Air Force Colonel. Super scientific brain," pointed at Carter, "super language brain with puppy dog eyes," pointed at Jackson and then pointed at Teal'c, "good guy alien."

"Yes but I'm sure the writers added that in to add some UST," Joyce explained.

"JoyceSummers, may I ask what UST is?" Teal'c asked.

Joyce turned to Teal'c and replied, "Unresolved sexual tension."

Teal'c looked at his teammates for a moment. "Indeed," he said simply.

"How about a tour of the ship?" Daniel asked suddenly. "I'm sure you seen the pictures NASA has taken of Earth but nothing can compare to see it yourself."

Joyce gently pushed Dawn towards the door, hoping to divert her attention.

Daniel quickly ushered the young teen out of the room before she could ask any more embarrassing questions. Teal'c followed behind them as Daniel talked about the wonders of the universe.

Just as the doors were about to shut, Dawn could be heard saying, "There was rumors that Major Monroe was having a relationship with Grell, so are you having a relationship with Carter?"

Joyce closed her eyes and shook her head. "She's a bit of a romantic," she explained.

"And a fangirl," O'Neill chimed in.

Joyce nodded her head. "And a fangirl."

"I just don't understand fanboys or girls," Carter admitted with a shake of her head. "How could someone allow themselves to become so wrapped up in some TV show or movie?"

"When you know that your sister has to go out at night to hunt and kill monsters that want to kill everyone or the fact that most of your classmates will never get the chance to graduate, a little frivolous fun is a welcome part of life," Joyce replied dryly.

"Yes... but that doesn't explain everyone else," Carter countered. "I once had the misfortune to stay at a hotel that was hosting ComicCon. The amount of time and energy spent making costumes; learning the life history of a fictional character… it's such a waste."

"Perhaps to you it is but not to the people who enjoy it," Joyce replied. "It's a combination of the Roman theater and the 'what-if' game."

"What-if game?" Carter asked in confusion.

"What if Bilbo Baggins had never followed Gandalf. He would never have stolen Gollum's ring and therefore Frodo would never have to travel to Mount Doom to destroy it," Joyce explained. "One simple change can rewrite everything."

Carter shook her head before walking off.

"Carter is… more of a book learner than a people person," O'Neill explained in Carter's defense.

Joyce nodded her head. "Willow's the same way. They can't see the forest for all the trees or is it the tree for the forest?"

O'Neill snorted. "That pretty much describe Daniel and Carter at times."

"Daniel?" Joyce said.

"Dr. Jackson," O'Neill clarified with a nod towards the door.

"Ah," Joyce nodded in reply. "I guess we should go rescue Dr. Jackson and Teal'c from my daughter before she embarrasses them to death."

O'Neill snorted. "Daniel's more likely to study her and write a paper on nature of fanboys and girls."

"Ohhh, the research is everything type," Joyce teased.

"You have no idea," O'Neill grumbled with a shake of his head. Looking over at the door, he then said, "So who exactly is Dawn? Xander told me that Buffy was an only child."

Joyce glanced at O'Neill before looking away. "It's… a Sunnydale thing."

"And I'm guessing this Sunnydale thing has to do with the monster of the week," O'Neill commented.

"If she finds Dawn, she'll kill her and then the rest of us will follow," Joyce admitted.

Jack nodded his head in understanding. "So how did you end up with her?"

Joyce lets out a weary sigh as she sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. Jack soon joined her.

"She's… she's always been there. I remember when I was pregnant with her. How she would kick when Buffy would talk to my stomach. How she used to like to stand on my bladder. Giving birth to her. Her first words. Her first steps. First day at school. I remember it all… and none of it existed," Joyce explained. "Some monks… they were guarding an item that our monster of the week wanted and when she was about to win, they sent it away, sent it to Buffy to guard. They created a human form; they created Dawn to hide the item in. Made her Buffy's little sister so she would have an extra reason to protect her."

"And implanted memories of you having Dawn, so no one would question her sudden appearance," Jack added in.

Joyce nodded her head. "No one realized it. Dawn had always been there." Joyce took a deep breath and then exhaled. "That was until I had a car accident and ended up with a bad concussion."

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"I started to remember the truth, that I never had a second child," Joyce explained, "but I also remembered having her. I thought I was going insane…but as I got better, I kept both sets of memories. When I talked to Giles about it, I learned the whole truth and the fact that they had clues about Dawn's origin before the accident."

"Does Dawn know about her origins?" Jack asks.

Joyce nodded her head. "She overheard Buffy and Willow talking about it. It was pretty bad for a little bit until I finally convinced her that she was my Thumbelina."

"Thumbelina?" Jack echoed in confusion.

"It's a fairy tale about a girl no bigger than your thumb who was found in the middle of a flower blossom by an old woman who could not have any children," Joyce explained.

"I seem to remember that story. She's kidnapped by a toad but escapes. Later, she lives with a field mouse and was to marry something else only to escape on the back of a bird and find her prince charming," Jack chimed in.

Joyce chuckled. "You, a big bad Air Force colonel, knows fairy tales?"

Jack's face reddens. "I blame Daniel. For a while, he was going through old myths and fairy tales to see if were based on fact or something."

"Well then, he'll be interested in know that Hansel and Gretel was based on a demon," Joyce supplied.

"The witch was a demon?" Jack said in surprise.

"No. Hansel and Gretel were," Joyce corrected. "The old woman in the story was the innocent."

"Hansel and Gretel, the two kids in the story with the witch and the gingerbread house were demons?" Jack said in disbelief.

Joyce nodded her head. "Almost burnt Buffy at the stake because of them. They were demons that pretended to be a murdered boy and girl so they could encourage whatever town they were in to kill the 'bad girl' the witches of the town. Giles told me that they caused the Salem Witch Trials to happen."

"They're dead right? Your daughter killed the demons?" Jack asked

Joyce nodded yes with a smile.

Jack is silent for a moment before saying , "What about Dracula and Van Helsing?"


	5. Chapter 5

They had been on board the spaceship for three days before it finally broke orbit and headed off into space.

"Beautiful view, isn't it," Colonel O'Neill commented as he walked up to Joyce Summers as she stared out into space through the observation window.

"It is," Joyce replied, "But… but an observation window on a spaceship? Is that like putting a glass bottom on the Titanic?"

Jack snorted. "It's not really an observation window. It's more or less an oversized computer monitor."

"So I'm not really seeing it," Joyce replied, a trace of disappointment evident in her voice.

Jack shrugs his shoulders. "It's the closest you'll get without going outside. And this way it can't spring a leak."

"A leak would a bad thing," Joyce said. "So how long until we get where we're going?"

"A little over a day," Jack answered.

"And then we'll start over," Joyce stated softly before turning to look at Jack. "What are we going to do? Dawn and me. I run… ran an art gallery. Mother of two daughters. One of which hasn't graduated high school yet. What am I going to do on an alien world?"

"Be a mother," Jack replied with a shrug of his shoulder. "And not just to her," he nodded back to the rest of the ship, "but to all the men and women on the planet. They need someone to talk to, someone not in the line of command. Someone they can be honest with and get honest advice from."

Joyce started to giggle. "You want me to open Callahan's Place."

"Callahan's Place," Jack echoed back with a confused look.

"Callahan's Crosstime Saloon. Spider Robinson?" Joyce asked.

Jack slowly shook his head no.

"You poor, poor man. You don't know one of the most puntastic literary master-pieces of the world!" Joyce exclaimed.

"Why does I suddenly feeling of dread?" Jack muttered as Joyce linked her arm with his and started to guide him away while talking about Callahan's Place.

* * *

The transport rings vanished, leaving behind SG-1 and Joyce and Dawn Summers.

Looking around at her surroundings, Joyce commented, "Not what expected."

"It's the trees, isn't it?" Jack asked.

"I kind of expect alien trees, not… trees," Joyce replied.

"It looks like that campground you and dad dragged us to," Dawn suggested as she looked around. "Remember how dad got poison oak and we had to leave early?"

"Yes, I do," Joyce growled. "Hope the little bitch got it, too," she said very softly.

"Somehow dad got poison oak down there," Dawn explain with a smirk. "He walked funny for almost 3 weeks."

The men in the group cringed in sympathy while Carter and Joyce shared a smirk.

"Shouldn't someone have met us here?" Dawn questioned as she looked around. "Or can anyone just teleport onto the planet when they want?"

"Oh there is someone out there. He's probably in the tree line cursing up a storm," Jack stated with an evil smirk.

"Try behind you and trying to figure out if I should kick your ass, Jack," a male voice growled from behind them.

They turned around to face the source of the voice.

"Xander," Joyce gasped.

"Now why would you want to kick my ass?" Jack asked innocently.

"You're alive," Joyce said as she stared at the young man.

"Xander!" Dawn squealed as she tackled him.

"Dawn," Xander gasped looking down at the girl trying to hug him to death. Looking up at the older lady, "Mrs. Summers."

"I want an explanation," Joyce ordered as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, " **now!** "

"It's Jack's fault," Xander replied.

"My fault? How is it my fault?" Jack demanded in surprise.

"It was your boots," Xander stated.

"Well, you're the one who blackmailed me," Jack countered.

"Blackmail!" Joyce exclaimed in shock. "Xander Harris, what did you do? How come you're here… alive? I was told you were dead!"

"I didn't have much a choice, Mrs. S," Xander explained. "Buffy threatened to kill me. Willow would have helped. I went from someone most demons wouldn't bother with because they knew that Buffy would get revenge to being someone the demons would hunt down, hoping to gain favor with Buffy or at least get revenge for me helping her. Add in all the stuff in my head from Halloween and it wasn't a good thing."

"And this lead to blackmailing Colonel O'Neill, how?" Joyce demanded as she tapped her foot.

"He was my red flag to Colonel Pierce," Xander answered quickly. "You had my book with his number in it and you were in LA at the time."

Joyce pinched the bridge of her nose as if to ward off a headache. "You didn't memorize his phone number."

A bashful look appeared on Xander's face. "In my defense, JD just got a new phone and I haven't exactly memorized the number yet."

Joyce shook her head sadly.

Dawn tighten her grip around Xander's waist, bring his attention back to her. "Xander?" She said as she looked up at him with big doe like eyes. "Are mom and me going to be living with you?"

"Ahhh… no," Xander answered as he wiggled out of her grasp. "I live in this tiny hole in the wall apartment on the base. No room for you and Mrs. S. but I do know they have a nice place picked out for you."

"You can always move in with us," Dawn suggested.

"Dawn," Joyce said in a slightly chastising tone of voice, "I'm sure that Xander is quite happy living by himself."

"But mom," Dawn whined.

Joyce shook her head. "No. I'm sure that Xander will be visit often but he probably enjoys living on his own."

"Your mom's right," Xander added in as he gave Dawn a squeeze. "It's really nice to live on my own and not hear my parents fighting or worry about coming home to find out that they sold my stuff."

"But they're on Earth and we're not," Dawn pointed out.

"I know but it's a mental thing," Xander explained.

Dawn's face twisted up into one of frustration. "Are there at least some cute boys here?"

"I'm a straight man so I don't notice cute boys but I do know that there are a number of men on the base that your sister and Willow would drool over," Xander stated. "I also know that you're jail bait and if any of them men touch you then I will be helping your mother hide the body."

"Just zat them three times," Jack chimed in.

"But the problem with that is there is no body. You need to leave some sign to warn off anyone one else from trying the same thing," Xander pointed out.

"Xander!" Dawn exclaimed as she punched him in the arm. "How do you expect me to find a boyfriend if you keep threating them."

"I think that's the point," Daniel added in.

Jack and Xander both nodded their heads.

"I think that right now would be a good time for Doctors Jackson and Carter to escort my daughter to the base," Joyce suggested firmly. "Xander, Colonel O'Neill and I need to talk."

"Shit!"

"Dead man walking," Dawn said softly as she let go of Xander and backed away from him.

"Love you, too, Dawn," Xander grumbled

Dawn smiled before practically skipping over to Teal'c and threaded her arm within his. "Would you be so kind as to walk with me to my new home, Mr. Teal'c?"

Teal'c bowed his head in acceptance. "I would be pleased to escort you, DawnSummers," Teal'c replied. "I would be neglecting my duties to XanderHarris and your mother if I did not insure that the others on the base knew of the consequences of disrespecting you."

Dawn blinked a couple of times. "Does that mean you won't let me date either?"

"Indeed," Teal'c said with a smirk as he started walking towards the base with Dawn at his side.

"She'll never date again," Daniel stated before starting after Teal'c and Dawn.

Carter just shook her head as she followed behind them. "Reminds me of a few girls in school and their fathers."

Xander waited a few minutes for Dawn and her escorts to get out of hearing range. "Mrs. S, I can explain everything."

Joyce held up her hand to signal him to stop talking as she shook her head. "You don't have to explain any more, Xander," she explained. "I actually need to apologize…"

"Apologize? For what?" Xander interrupted.

"For Buffy. For not see what she was doing to you. For what she was becoming. When she was little… she was always so kind and loving as a child," Joyce explained with a shake of her head. "I don't know where it all went wrong."

"She became a teenager," Jack answered. "And when she finally became an adult, she'll stop being a bitch."

Xander snorted. "That explains Willow too. Not that I didn't have my bout of stupidity either."

A brief smile cross Joyce's face. "I still want to apologize for not noticing how bad it was and for not being there for you. You saved my girl's life and because of your actions you made it possible for me to protect Dawn."

A blush came to Xander's face. "I did what I had to do," he replied simply. "But that does bring up a point I wanted to ask about. Dawn?"

Joyce stance changes, became stronger and firmer. "You don't remember her?"

Xander shook his head. "No. Not exactly. She's… things… situation… it's like remembering a dream. It's hard to explain. I know her, I remember things about her, doing things with her, but I also don't remember her."

Joyce nodded her head in acceptance.

"So who exactly is she?" Xander asked.

Joyce glanced over at Jack then back at Xander. "My daughter," she replied simply and in a voice that say she would accept no disagreement.

Xander looked at Joyce then at Jack and back to Joyce. With a firm nod of his head, Xander said, "One thing I remember about Dawn is that she's more devious than I was when I was bored."

"Guess it will be your job to keep her entertained then," Jack said with a smirk.

"Just like it's your job to keep Daniel out of trouble?" Xander replied.

"I doubt she could be worse than Daniel," Jack stated.

"If Dr. Jackson is anything like Dr. Levant in Wormhole X-Treme then Dawn is the Dr. Jackson 2.0 - female version, only bigger, better and badder," Joyce said with pride.

"Like mother, like daughter," Xander added in.

Joyce smiled at Xander. "And don't you forget it," she said before starting down the path Dawn had took.

"Strong woman," Jack said simply as he watched her walk away.

Xander nodded his head. "She'll run this base with an iron hand within a month," he declared before turning to look at Jack. "You know she's single."

Jack turn to look at Xander. "Are you trying to hook me up?"

Xander shrugged his shoulders as he started to walk towards base.. "Why not? You're single. She's single. I know you better than anyone else in the world, so I know you'll treat her well and that you're not really interested in Dawn and using Joyce to get to her. Perfect match."

"Ah ha," Jack replied in a tone that said 'you're crazy'. "Don't think that will happen."

"Alright. Why?" Xander demanded. "It's not like you have to hide what you do from her."

"Well, long distance relationships don't really work," Jack replied. "And you can't get any longer distance when you're on different planets."

"And how often are you up here?" Xander replied with a smirk. "Of course if you're afraid…"

Jack shot Xander a look. "You know I hate you."

Xander just smiled in return. "You know dating Mrs. S would squash those rumors of you being involved with Carter or Daniel."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Jack exclaimed. "Are those rumors still going around?"

"Yeap. I hear the pool is pretty high," Xander replied with a sly smirk.

"Three way split?" Jack suggested.

Xander's smirk grew as he nodded his head.

"You know that this means that I need to set you up with someone," Jack stated.

"What? What do you mean set me up with someone?" Xander babbled. "Do you know the type of women that are interested in me? Does the term homicidal or deadly mean anything to you?"

Jack just smiled as he walked along.

"Jack! You can't do it! Come on! You can't. Please!" Xander begged as he followed along.


End file.
